|
You have decided it's time to get your own event mobile app. But before you sign on the dotted line, here are some pointers to help you judge whether the app you are investing in is worth every penny. Sponsor Platform An event is an idea, borne out of the mind of an event professional. As such, event planners are creators and idea-merchants. With every event, they sell an experience to the attendees. Therefore, getting sponsorships should be the last thing they have to worry about. If your app has built-in monetization opportunities like branding and marketing for sponsors, it makes an event professional's job a lot easier. Wouldn't it be wonderful if your event manager focuses on developing and pushing powerful ideas rather than spending his/her valuable resources trying to woo a sponsor? Media Curation It's now common practice for event professionals to curate and publish user-generated content created during the course of the event. If your mobile conference app allows this capability, then you know your money has gone in the right direction. Fragmented media like a few pictures here or a post and tweet there are unacceptable, more so if your audience isn't averse to technology. It will be better if your app is able to bring in remote audiences as well as that will mean more reach and engagement. Smart Badges NFC has been around for some time now and though you will find both adopters and detractors of the technology, it's the application which you need to look out for. Badges are important but they aren't considered pro-environment due to the quantity of paper and other materials they waste every time. When getting an event mobile app developed, see if it integrates NFC – it will not only change your attendees' perception regarding how badges are used but also make it a part of a seamless event experience. Participants will be able to “like” presenters or speakers or “check into” particular areas during different sessions. Smart badges can be more effective when coupled with photo booths. The latter presents exciting opportunities to streamline event photos and can play a key role in your overall content strategy. Feedback and Reviews Reputation management is an upcoming trend in the events industry and something which every event management company will have to deal with. Therefore, your investment can be justified if it enables attendees to review a session or the event in general. Reviews are powerful incentives which influence the buying decision making process. The feedback from your audience regarding a particular speaker gives you the ability to gauge the effectiveness of your speaker panel. Meeting apps of today also offer event managers access to post-event analytics and data. These further illustrate the amount of traffic, the number of page or topic views and the levels of engagement. 360-degree Event Solutions It's time you bid adieu to technology silos: separate registration, ticketing, branding, promotion and social media just won't work now. Medium to large scale events call for an app that features a centralized hub from where all these services can be accessed easily, whether online or offline. As a smart marketer, see to it that your event app doesn't lead to fragmentation of the above capabilities as this won't be economical in the long run. Author Bio: Kathy Griffin is an industry veteran, having played pivotal roles in event planning, management and consultant. She advises companies to go for an event mobile app that facilitates better attendee engagement, convenience, information and reputation than traditional event planning and management.
Related Articles -
Event Mobile App, Mobile conference app, Meeting apps,
| 
